Commissioner Secretary, Forest, Ecology & Environment, Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, today convened a meeting to discuss the roadmap for winding up Integrated Wasteland Development Program (IWDP)and absorbing its employees in allied wings of the Forest Department.The meeting was informed that 374 employees out of 479 employees of IWDP organization have been posted in other departments along with posts from time to time. The departments include Wildlife, Environment & Remote Sensing, State Forest Research Institute, Soil & water Conservation, Wullar (WUCMA), Forest Territorial J&K and Forest Administration Departments. While as presently 103 employees are working in IWDP organization.It was informed that the IWDP employees posted out in various organizations along with posts are proposed to be permanently absorbed in those organizations and their posts are proposed to be permanently added to the sanctioned strength of the respective organizations.“To strengthen the department and make it viable, we should make proper use of the manpower and assets of the IWDP which would help in upgradation of the department,” he said. The manpower shall be properly utilized in other wings of the Forest Department.
Commissioner/Secretary directed for constituting a high-level committee of Officers headed by PCCF, J&K, to work out the modality for transfer of movable / immovable infrastructures and examine the issues pertaining to seniority/promotional avenues and amendment in recruitment rules etc.The committee shall evolve a mechanism so that the winding up of the IWDP Department shall be completed in a time bound manner and preferably by end of 31st March, 2019, the exercise to be completed.The meeting was attended by PCCF, Chief Wildlife warden J&K, Jammu, Suresh Chug, Director Social Forestry, J&K, S K Gupta, Project Chief IWDP, J&K, N P Singh, Special Secretary (Technical), Ramesh Kumar, Chief Conservator of Forest, Jammu, Sameer Bharti, Director Finance, Forest Department, Director (P&S), Forest Department, Parvaiz Ahmad Handoo, Additional Secretary Forest Department, Ram Savak, Additional Secretary Forest Department, P R Katoch besides other officials of the Department.